The Baltimore Book Festival is held during the last weekend of September each year. The annual event draws thousands of book lovers to Charm City for three days of appearances by local, celebrity, and nationally known authors, book signings, and more than 100 exhibitors and booksellers. In previous years it was held in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood, just north of downtown in the area surrounding the city’s famed Washington Monument. In 2012 and 2013, I had the pleasure of selling books at that location.

Authors Tent at Bicentennial Plaza, Baltimore Book Festival

This year the festival was held at the Inner Harbor and featured not one, but two Author’s Tents. My table in the Author’s Tent at Bicentennial Plaza was just a few feet away from stone markers honoring the 200th anniversary of the founding of Baltimore in 1797.

Bicentennial Plaza Marker, Baltimore Inner Harbor

Underneath one of the markers is a time capsule placed in 1997 and scheduled to be opened in 2097. As much as I would like to, it is doubtful that I will be able to attend that event.

Baltimore Book Festival Table Mates Raleigh Mann, David Stinson, and Seth Adam Kallick

On Saturday September 27th, I had the pleasure of sharing a table with Seth Adam Kallick, author of American Nightmare, A Tale of the Dead West, and Raleigh Mann, author of Jumping with Mixed Feelings, A Family Memoir. Raleigh’s daughter Beth accompanied him as well and offered free knitting lessons to anyone interested.

Authors Stage at Bicentennial Plaza, with Baltimore’s Inner Harbor in Background

At 6 pm Saturday evening I took to the Authors Stage at Bicentennial Plaza to give a brief history of the lost ballparks of Baltimore and talk a little about my book. The view of the Inner Harbor from the podium was spectacular. Thanks to Beth for agreeing to listen to my talk and thereby increase by 100 percent the number of people waiting in the audience when I arrived.

Day Two – Baltimore Book Festival – And, NO, the orange sign to my left did not fall and hit my head

On Sunday September 28th, my table mates were Barbara Mathias-Riegel, author of Curtain Calls, and Bill Fortin, author of RedEye Fulda Cold: A War in the Cold Novel. The Ravens played the Carolina Panthers that afternoon, providing the festival with an extra jolt of potential customers passing through the Authors Tent to and from the game. At one point in the morning there were so many fans walking by, the Authors Tent had the appearance of a second Ravens Walk.

Thanks to everyone who stopped to chat with me about Deadball and the lost ballparks of Baltimore, and especially those who were kind enough to buy the book. Thanks also to my table mates whose good conversations helped pass the time between customers.